This invention relates to fasteners in general, and more particularly to those fasteners characterized by using barbs and/or spring members to secure a primary object to a secondary object.
A large number of fasteners have been used in the past for securing one object on another object, at least partially by means of barbs and/or spring members.
Examples include U.S. Pat. No. 2,296,046; U.S. Pat. No. 2,322,656; U.S. Pat. No. 2,329,688 (the barbs referred to as locking tongues 19; see column 2, lines 14-22), U.S. Pat. No. 2,607,971; U.S. Pat. No. 2,825,948; U.S. Pat. No. 3,208,119; U.S. Pat. No. 3,525,129; U.S. Pat. No. 3,673,643; U.S. Pat. No. 4,043,579; U.S. Pat. No. 4,074,465; U.S. Pat. No. 4,271,634; U.S. Pat. No. 4,324,826; U.S. Pat. No. 4,354,782; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,382,414; 4,402,118; 4,865,505; U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,280; U.S. Pat. No. 5,367,751; U.S. Pat. No. 5,422,789; U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,237; U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,158 (the barbs referred to as wedge-like extensions; see column 3, lines 10-17), U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,319, U.S. Pat. No. 5,919,019, U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,714, U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,914; U.S. Pat. No. 6,141,837; U.S. Pat. No. 6,101,686; Provisional Specification GB 1030796; Complete Specification GB 1171396; Patent IT 550316; Patent BE 632.590; and Patent DE 577499, among a plethora of other references.
None of these references by themselves or in combination disclose, suggest, or imply the intricate criticalities of the instant invention.
The instant invention is directed to fasteners characterized by the use of barbs, which may also comprise spring members to secure a primary object to a secondary object. More particularly, the instant invention pertains a fastener comprising a U-shaped configuration, the U-shaped configuration having a fastening region within which at least a part of a primary object can be inserted, the fastener comprising a first structural side and a second structural side opposite to the first structural side, both sides adjacent to the fastening region, the first structural side comprising an outer bent barb, which is a partially cut section of the first structural side and extends into the fastening region, the outer bent barb having a first back portion adjacent to the first structural side and a first front portion pointing toward the second structural side, the first front portion having a first angle with respect to the primary object when the primary object is inserted into the fastening region, which is smaller than a respective second angle that the first front portion would have with respect to the primary object if the outer barb were straight and not bent, the first back portion of the outer bent barb being longer than the first front portion of the first bent barb, the second structural side comprising an inner bent barb, which is a partially cut section of the second structural side and extends into the fastening region, the inner bent barb having a second back portion adjacent to the second structural side and a second front portion adjacent to and pointing toward the first structural side, the second front portion having a third angle with respect to the primary object when the primary object has been inserted into the fastening region, which third angle is smaller than a respective fourth angle that the second front portion would have with respect to the primary object if the inner barb were straight and not bent, the second back portion of the inner bent barb being longer than the second front portion of the inner bent barb.
At least one of the respective back portions of the inner and/or outer bent barb and the respective front portions of the inner and/or outer bent barb is preferably substantially linear.
Further, the distance separating the front portion of the inner barb from the first structural side and/or the front portion of the outer barb from the second structural side is preferably smaller than half a distance separating the first structural side from the second structural side.
Also, preferably, at least one of the first back portion of the outer bent barb and the second back portion of the inner bent barb is at least three times longer than the respective front portion.
In addition, it is preferable that at least one of the first back portion of the outer bent barb and the second back portion of the inner bent barb has an average width, which average width is at least three times shorter than the respective bent barb.
It is also preferable that the fastener is made of steel having a thickness, which thickness is larger than a distance separating the front portion of the outer bent barb from the first structural side.
The front side and the back side of at least one of the outer barb and the inner barb, preferably forms a front/back angle in the range of 5 to 25 degrees.
The fastener of this invention may further comprise a first spring member, the first spring member having a first insertion section and a first engagement section, the first insertion section and the first engagement section separated by a first separating bent, the first engagement section comprising a first base and a first engagement bent potion, the first engagement bent portion directed away from the first base at a fifth angle, and comprising first peaks and first minor recesses, the first base having a first middle portion and a first edge portion.
According to this invention, the fastener may further comprise a second spring member, the second spring member having a second insertion section and a second engagement section, the second insertion section and the second engagement section separated by a second separating bent, the second engagement section comprising a second base and a second engagement bent potion, the second engagement bent portion directed away from the second base at a sixth angle, and comprising second peaks and second minor recesses, the second base having a second middle portion and a second edge portion.
The fifth and/or sixth angle are preferably in the range of 90xc2x0 to 179xc2x0, independently. Further, the first minor recesses may reach the respective base or extend within the respective base.
The peaks have a front peak side and a back peak side. The front peak side may be longer than the back peak side.
The engagement bent portions may be disposed over the respective edge portions of the respective bases, or in any place between the edge portions, such as for example in the vicinity of the middle portion of the respective base.
Each single particular embodiment of the present invention is critical for a specific application. Therefore, only one embodiment may be critical for a certain application, or more than one for other applications.
This invention also pertains a vehicle comprising a fastener connecting a primary object and a secondary object with a fastener as described above.